A Surprise Visit

‘Tis Christmas here at Jiaotong U
The lights aren’t up, what can I do
Our Allen has a Christmas tree
I wonder where can Allen be

‘Tis Christmas in the classroom now
My students test what I’ll allow
They throw stuff at the Christmas tree
But hit the wall and poor ole me

The star atop the shining tree
It wavers, falls and crashes free
With shaking hands I grab the glass
And throw it in the nearby trash

The students now refuse to budge
‘Tis Christmas now and time to judge
Their creative lines of poetry
So they all line up by the tree

The first one reads her lines of joy
Screaming and yelling to annoy
Her teacher on this Christmas day
A day of shock with much dismay

The next one sings a song of love
Her voice moves out and floats above
Yelling classmates in disarray
They’re having fun. It’s Christmas day!

Christmas poems are sung nonstop
Some do rock while others hip hop
Their songs float out the open door
Crashing loudly along the floor

All of a sudden before I could blink
In popped a fat man, old St. Nick
He shouted a word in Chinese
Stopping the noise, an instant freeze

Squatting down with a sack of stuff
Colorful boxes, strangely enough
The students were now in their seats
Waiting for their expected treats

Sure enough, as quick as foxes
Ole St. Nick passed out his boxes
All the students got gifts so fine
So I asked the man where was mine

He looked at me with a wink and a smile
As he walked slowly down the center aisle
“Your gifts are who you teach each day,”
He said, disappearing out the doorway.

‘Tis Christmas here at Jiaotong U
The party’s over, we’re all through
All my students have gone away
‘Tis really Christmas every day